Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1887-03-24

But Nine of His Consptrators tro-
tected Him with Rihes-Runntng an
- Illicit Still in the Mountains With
Free for a Chimney to His Csve-His
Marvellous Escapes.
From the Nsao York World.
PARKERsBURG, w. VA, March ~
John Quincy Harris, the king" of Web
ster county, who died few days ago In
Webster, was without doubt the most
noted outlaw and moonshiner in west
Virginia. For some time after the re-
ported decease OF Harris the government
officials were skepticsl OF his taking on,
believing the rumor only intended to de-
ceIve. In the United States Court oil this
district there were not less than dozen
Indictments against him, and every dep
uty marshal who started for the interior
was armed with pair OF six-shooters
and carried along one or more warrants
for the arrest of Harris. The officials have
investigated and found that the rumor
of his decease il true, and they breathe
free.
A veteran revenue officer, speaking OF
Harris, said: 81 think it was in '61
when / first heard of Harris. l was
new man on the force, full of energy and
Aife and ready for almost anything when
Il was handed couple OF warrants ana
ordered to go into the interior ana cap
lure Harris. My superior told me that
the man l was after was dangerous
customer, and told me TO take half a
dozen men with me, as | would probably
need them. / selected four good men,
and, deeming that force sufficient, started
attes Harris, who, l had learned, was In
ths mountains near the Virginia line
I'VE did some rough riding, and after
tive or three days arrived at the place
where we learned that Harris was last
seen. For several days We looked in vain
tor any clue of him, but finally, on the
6ourth day, a verdant-looking country
man came into our camp and told us he
knew where Harris was. and said he
would guide us to his rendezvous for $25.
I'VE agreed to pay him, and that afternoon
he piloted us to a small clearing, in the
Eentre of which was q small log house.
"'He's in there" said the guide, am
you'll have to surround the house mighty
quick or he'll give you the Slip
"His advice seemed good and we dis
amounted and surrounded the cabin, get
ting close up TO the door before we were
perceived. just as we got within few
feet Of the door tall, fine looking middle
aged man came to the door. He neither
appeared surprised nor dismayed when
u told him he was my prisoner, but, lean
ing against the door, lamb, looked us de-
aiberately and coolly over and said:
$3.50 you think Pm Ounce Harris, do
your
"sYou are Harris, and want you, so
you may as we'll come out quietly, as l
have force enough to take you, as you
see.'
"sWell. Captain said he, addressing
me, 'thaPs just as my friends say. If
they don't object l will accept the pleas
iure Of your company
.'I was on the point of speaking again.
still more authoritatlvely, when glanced
hack over my shoulder, and If didn't see
mine stalwart men standing not ten feet
tof with rifles to their shoulders, pointed
directly at usl We were covered, and OF
course mad to submit, for If we had un-
ldertaken to draw not one Of us would
have been left alive. Well, we were
allowed to go, aud we went.
''One time | learned that Harris, who
was called the king of Webster county,
was running several stills on the head of
DRY Fork OF Cheat, near Frazer noun
tain, a mountain which runs parallel TO
the Allegheny. / knew 1t was dangerous
work to follow him into that wild cOun-
cry. but duty was duty. | had with me
nine or ten good men, Officers from Vir-
ginia, Kentucky and West Virginia, and
we were determined-to run him down.
The range of mountains iatO which we
traced Harris were very rough and the
. valleys very narrow. The mountains were
composed of table lands OF varying width,
one above the other from the base to the
apex. To ascend from one OF these fats
TO the next one above was aditicult feat,
as the walls of rock were precipltous,
and in many instances rough and broken.
Y he sides of the mountain were also filled
with assures, many OF which were large
- q
We had gained the top of the mountain,
and being worn with fatigue we dis
mounted, and lay IN the shade OF the
trees. White aud myself were laying
stretched out on our backs, wondering
what move to make next when he called
my attention to a thin spiral stretch of
blue smoke ascending through the trees
almost overhead. Where there's smoke
there's fire. said White, and both of us
Instantly sprang TO our feet and
called the attention of the rest OF
the squad TO the smoke. BY spreading
out somewhat we surrounded the spot
from which the smoke appeared to
ascend, and by concentrating our forces
we came together again close to an old
oak stump which appeared to have been
broken off by some storm years before.
From the topot this old oak thin stream
of smoke was escaping, showing that
there was ire within. But as we looked
the old tree over and around and found no
hollow in sight we were somewhat mysti-
fed, until one of our number guessed the
truth. He got down on his hands and
knees at the base of the tree, and scrap
ing away the leaves and rubbish disclosed
q fissure in the rock below--how long or
deep we could not tell. 1t was apparent,
however, that the old tree had been made
10 serve the double purpose of fue or.
chimney and a blind.
sit was but few minutes before we
had it all mapped out. Harris had a cave
a@mewnere below us, and the smoke from
his fires escaped through this improyised
chimney. We left our horses, and de-
ecending to the table land below began to
search the sides of the cliff for the cave.
We found quite a number of assures and
entrances, but it was not until almost all
hour bad elapsed before one OK our num-
Der found the true one, which had been
carefully concealed by large laurel
bush which grew close up TO the rocky
wall. When it was found, however. aud
the bush pushed aside narrow entrance,
with faint marks OF human feet upon the
loose sand OF the floor, was seen. We
had found it'll With cooked pistols
In one hand and bulPs-eye
lantern in the other we entered
the crevice. For perhaps 30 or 70 feet
the passageway was winding and crook
ed, but at about that distance we sud
denly debouched into room from 10 TO 20
nh I'D